We had a rather short journey for us (being just over an hour away) to one of our local events in Breckenbrough. However, this certainly didn't mean a sleep in as we were due to dressage at 8.30am, so the alarm still went off in darkness!
I was really pleased with Harley's warm up as in the past at this event he's bubbled over in the warm up. We went in to our test and felt he did a good job in a test that doesn't particularly suit him as you have to walk down the center line at the end. If anything we felt he maybe should have been a little more uphill but for a BE90 test we felt he was relaxed and hit all the marks in terms of transitions. We expected a score between 34-37 so I was shocked and rather upset to be given 44 which was 11 marks worse than our Burgham test! However, the online results show we got 42 so not 100% sure what we got but either way it was in our opinion a harsh mark especially when that lest us 5th worse in a 40 horse section and 20 marks off the leaders! We've decided to put it down to the judge just unfortunately not liking him (which sadly seems to happen with a thoroughbred more than I'd like at the lower levels). But I'd be grateful of anyone who'd take the time to view the video and share opinions.
I was really pleased with Harley's warm up as in the past at this event he's bubbled over in the warm up. We went in to our test and felt he did a good job in a test that doesn't particularly suit him as you have to walk down the center line at the end. If anything we felt he maybe should have been a little more uphill but for a BE90 test we felt he was relaxed and hit all the marks in terms of transitions. We expected a score between 34-37 so I was shocked and rather upset to be given 44 which was 11 marks worse than our Burgham test! However, the online results show we got 42 so not 100% sure what we got but either way it was in our opinion a harsh mark especially when that lest us 5th worse in a 40 horse section and 20 marks off the leaders! We've decided to put it down to the judge just unfortunately not liking him (which sadly seems to happen with a thoroughbred more than I'd like at the lower levels). But I'd be grateful of anyone who'd take the time to view the video and share opinions.
So moving on from the disappointing dressage score we went forward to the show jumping. The showjumping at Breckenbrough is on a slope which is never ideal for a certified pole basher! We finished with 8 faults which I was happy with both fences were due to uprights after large oxers, at the bottom of the slope heading home which just meant we jumped big and then had too much momentum by the time we hit the uprights.
We then had a nice quick change over for the XC and all I can say is that he was a joy to ride and was lovely to steer. We ended up with 6 time faults which I put down to myself as I was babying him in terms of not letting the handbrake off as I wasn't 100% about his fitness. Yet I shouldn't have been worried as he's stopped blowing even before we got back to the lorry.
So over all a frustrating day on the score board but a day where you know yourself that you and your horse performed much better!
We then had a nice quick change over for the XC and all I can say is that he was a joy to ride and was lovely to steer. We ended up with 6 time faults which I put down to myself as I was babying him in terms of not letting the handbrake off as I wasn't 100% about his fitness. Yet I shouldn't have been worried as he's stopped blowing even before we got back to the lorry.
So over all a frustrating day on the score board but a day where you know yourself that you and your horse performed much better!
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